Biologists at the University of California San Diego have developed the world's first CRISPR/Cas9-based approach to control genetic inheritance in a mammal.
Scientists around the world have been using CRISPR/Cas9 in a variety of plant and animal species to edit genetic information. One approach to editing the genome can control which of the two copies of...
An icy forecast for ringed seal populations
Arctic sea ice is now declining at a rate of 12.8 percent per decade -- 2012 had the lowest amount of summer ice on record. The drastic change has numerous implications for Arctic ecosystems, from increased shipping -- the first commercial container ship crossed the Arctic Ocean in fall 2018 -- to changing food webs.
But...
Plants can smell, now researchers know how
Plants don't need noses to smell. The ability is in their genes. Researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered the first steps of how information from odor molecules changes gene expression in plants. Manipulating plants' odor detection systems may lead to new ways of influencing plant behavior.
The discovery is the first to reveal the...
Conservation efforts help some rare birds more than others
Land conservation programs that have converted tens of thousands of acres of agricultural land in Illinois back to a more natural state appear to have helped some rare birds increase their populations to historic levels, a new study finds. Other bird species with wider geographic ranges have not fared as well, however.
The research, reported in...
Copy cats: When is a bobcat not a bobcat?
Two UBC Okanagan biologists, who have publicly solicited images of wild cats for their research, have answered that question.
Their recently published study explains how hard it can be when it comes to wildlife classification -- even experts have difficulty agreeing on whether a cat in a picture is a bobcat or a lynx.
Biology Professor Karen...
Humpback whales' songs at subarctic feeding areas are complex, progressive
Humpback whales overwintering in feeding areas may sing complex, progressive songs which closely resemble those associated with breeding grounds, according to a study published January 23, 2019 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Edda E. Magnúsdóttir and Rangyn Lim from the University of Iceland.
Humpback whales (Megaptera noveangliae) migrate annually between summer subarctic feeding areas...